Financial Difficulties and Flirtation With Relegation (2000–04)
Despite the club's successes, Derry City's path has not always been a smooth one. In September 2000, the club was in a crippled position from a financial perspective and on the verge of bankruptcy due to an unpaid tax bill. The Inland Revenue totalled the debt in the region of £180,000. The position had not been helped as the club was hit with misery on 27 July earlier that same year when the then-chairman, Kevin Friel, was killed in a road accident near Raphoe, Co. Donegal. Nevertheless, Jim Roddy convened a meeting of the club's shareholders and supporters to inform them that the club had debts nearing £180,000. Prior to that meeting Martin O'Neill, then manager of Scottish giants, Celtic, contacted Roddy, the stand-in chairman, to inform him that he would bring his side to the Brandywell in order to help raise funds for the beleaguered club. A number of other fund raising projects were also put together to help pay of the debts. Local band, the Undertones, played a benefit concert on 29 September, door to door collections took place around the city, while Phil Coulter, a singer from the city, hosted a golf classic on 27 September. Significantly, Derry-born politician John Hume, then a Member of the European Parliament for Northern Ireland, also helped by using his contacts in the parliament along with his powers of persuasion to convince a number of former European Cup winners to come to the Brandywell and play friendly matches to raise funds through gate receipts and save the club from extinction. Manchester United, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, as well as Celtic, all visited Derry with star-studded teams between then and 2003 in order to help the club survive. The game against Barcelona is fondly remembered on the Brandywell terraces as the day that firm fan-favourite and club legend, Liam Coyle left the Catalan club's Carles Puyol "on his arse" as he utilised his trickery to beat the defender. The money brought through the turnstiles helped to keep the club in operation, but just about, as results on the field continued to deteriorate and Derry soon came dangerously close to relegation - something which would have been a financial nightmare for the club.
Although the club has never been relegated, in 2003 it came within a whisker of losing its long-established place in the Premier Division after finishing in 9th position and having to contest a two-legged relegation/promotion play-off with local Donegal rivals, Finn Harps, who had finished 2nd in that season's First Division. However, Derry won the game 2-1 on aggregate after extra-time in the Brandywell and remained in the top-flight. The second leg of the fixture was the last game ever that veteran, Liam Coyle, played for the club as he announced his retirement soon afterward. The next season - 2004 - was not much of an improvement and Derry struggled with relegation once again, finally finishing in 7th position. This poor display led to the sacking of Gavin Dykes, who was the manager at the time since 29 September 2003 after having taken over from Dermot Keely. Morale was at an all-time low after a couple of dire seasons.
Read more about this topic: History Of Derry City F.C.
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